In a young man’s concussion fantasy the gods are not doing well: Vulcan has lost his job, Apollo is likewise unemployed. Mercury, who used to be the fastest mailman, has slowed considerably, and Venus, goddess of love, has lost her sex mojo. Even that old hedonist Bacchus, usually high on drink and partying, has gone dry. The only god who is still active is Mars, the god of war, here in the person of Hitler.
No wonder, this Yankee Longago story from
Boy Comics #10, was published in 1943, when World War II was raging across Europe and the Pacific. So Yankee Longago, using his Yankee ingenuity, has an idea: get Vulcan to work drawing a superhero comic book (
Ungodly Comics(!!!)), and it begins a series of events to change everyone's fortunes.
Dick Briefer drew this entertaining story. He even takes a gentle poke at Superman, by having Mercury put on a costume and cape, and “invent airmail.”
As you read this I am far away from my desk, visiting relatives for a week. I will be spotty at attending to the blog, so if you write a comment and I don't have time to write response don’t feel cheated.
From 2008, the first Yankee Longago story I showed. Just click on the thumbnail..
2 comments:
The story may have been inspired by “The Pipes of Pan” by Lester del Rey, which appeared in Unknown Fantasy Fiction v3 #3 (May 1940).
I think that we again see the influence of Briefer's political commitments in his emphasis on the Battle of Stalingrad, as opposed to some action by the Western Allies, which would have played better with his audience.
Super hero spandex suits, Clark Gable masks, chocolate sundaes, jazz sax, but best of all, comic books turn things around. Dick Briefer appeared to have fun. What a job to have.
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